Sports retailer
Decathlon wants to open more than 60 new branches
Despite the poor buying mood, the sporting goods retailer Decathlon is focusing on expansion: dozens of branches are to be opened in Germany by the end of 2027. There are enough white spots in the branch network.
The French sporting goods retailer Decathlon wants to significantly expand its business in Germany – and is pushing into city centers. “We currently have 86 branches. In three years, i.e. by the end of 2027, there should be more than 150,” said Decathlon Germany boss Arnaud Sauret to the German Press Agency. The plan is to invest up to 100 million euros in opening new stores and modernizing existing stores. Several thousand new jobs are to be created.
The company is planning two more openings this year: a smaller branch at Potsdam Central Station and a large one in downtown Hamburg. Further white spots on the Decathlon Germany map will then be removed. For example, branches in Nuremberg, Freiburg, Rostock, Oberhausen and the Kassel region are under discussion.
Decathlon also relies on smaller stores
But why expand now, when economic worries are high in Germany and many people are holding on to their money in the face of inflation? “Unfortunately, we are not present everywhere in Germany – although we know that we could play a larger role. At the same time, there are a lot of buildings in the city centers that are simply empty. This is our opportunity,” said Decathlon expansion boss Stefan Kaiser.
With this step, Decathlon wants to move closer to its customers. So far, the company has mainly had stores that offer a wide range of products in large sales areas. However, these are mostly outside the city centers. In addition to the large stores, there will be smaller stores in shopping centers and pedestrian zones in the future. These could specialize in one sport and adapt it to local needs. For example, there will be a mountain sports branch in Munich.
Decathlon wants to grab market share
The sports retail market in Germany is worth billions. The top dog is the Intersport trading association with sales of around 3.5 billion euros. This is followed by the Sport 2000 purchasing group with 2.95 billion euros. The French recently generated a good 1.1 billion euros.
Now Decathlon is attacking: “We have two very strong competitors in Germany who are doing a great job. But that obliges us to be even better. As athletes, we love the challenge,” said Sauret. The company is already the market leader in other European countries – also because there is a larger branch network there. Market share and sales are expected to increase significantly as a result of the expansion. The manager did not give specific figures.
dpa
Source: Stern
